1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid container detachably replaceably attached to a main body of a printing apparatus for reserving a liquid (ink) used for printing in the printing apparatus and the printing apparatus onto which the liquid container is attachable, and more particularly to an ink jet printing apparatus using a large-capacity liquid container.
2. Related Background Art
Up to now, as printing apparatuses that print a print medium such as a paper, a cloth, a plastic sheet or an OHP sheet, there have been employed printing apparatuses each having a head mounted thereon, using various printing systems such as a wire dot system, a thermal printing system, a heat transfer system or an ink jet system. Among them, the printing apparatus using the ink jet system (ink jet printing apparatus) is employed as a printer which is output means of an information processing system, for example, an output terminal of a copying machine, a facsimile machine, an electronic typewriter, a word processor or a work station, or a handy printer or a portable printer equipped in a personal computer, a host computer, a disk apparatus or a video apparatus. Thus, the ink jet printing apparatus is made commodity of commercial basis.
The ink jet system is of the print system in which an ink droplet is flied from a fine discharge port defined in an ink jet head, and the ink droplet is attached onto a print medium, to thereby conduct a desired print. The ink jet head of the ink jet printing apparatus is equipped with an electromechanical converting element such as a piezo electric element which generates a pressure with application of an electric energy, means for generating a heat due to irradiation of an electromagnetic wave such as laser or an electrothermal converting element having a heating resistor to discharge the ink droplet by using the heat energy, or the like, as discharge energy generating means for generating energy for discharging an ink from the discharge port.
Recently, an improvement in computers and its software leads to the execution of a precise color image processing, and as its output terminal, a printing apparatus which can output a color image with high precision and high quality has been demanded. In the ink jet printing apparatus, an ink jet head which can discharge a plurality of liquid different in color is employed in order that the color image can be outputted, and also the density of the discharge port is heightened or the concentration of ink is changed so as to output the high-precision and high-quality image.
The above-described ink jet printing apparatus is equipped with a liquid supply container which reserves a liquid (ink) for printing and a waste liquid container which retains the ink that does not contribute to print and falls into disuse. As an example of the liquid supply container and the waste liquid container, an ink cartridge into which the liquid supply container and the waste liquid container are integrated and which is detachably replaceably attached onto a main body of the printing apparatus is shown in FIGS. 73 and 74. FIG. 73 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the parts of the ink cartridge, and FIG. 74 is a cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge shown in FIG. 73.
As shown in FIGS. 73 and 74, the ink cartridge has an ink reservoir chamber formed by an ink container 541 and a cap 542 joined to an opening portion of the ink container 541, and a waste ink reservoir chamber formed by the waste ink container 543 and a cap 545 joined to the waste ink container 543. The ink container 541 and the waste ink container 543 are integrally engaged with each other. The waste ink container 543 includes an absorber 544 that absorbs and retains a recovery ink therein. The ink container 541 and the cap 542, and the waste ink container 543 and the cap 545 are joined to each other by, for example, ultrasonic welding, respectively.
Two cylindrical housings 550 formed so as to surround a communication port are disposed on a face of the cap 542 of the ink container 541 which is in contact with the exterior, and a dome-shaped elastic member 556 is fitted to each opening portion of the cylindrical housings 550 by a crest member 547 attached to the housing 550 so as to cover the housing 550. Thus, each of connecting portions of the ink container 541 with the main body of the apparatus for ink communication, etc., is formed by the communication port, the housing 550, the elastic member 556 and the crest member 547. Likewise, the waste ink container 543 has a connecting portion formed on a face connected to the face where the connecting portion of the ink container 541 is formed in a state where the ink container 541 and the waste ink container 543 are engaged with each other. A wall 553 is formed around those plural connecting portions on a face where the connecting portion of the ink cartridge is formed.
In the printing apparatus that enables color print, since plural kinds of inks are employed, in order to prevent an ink cartridge that reserves an ink different in kind from an ink reserved in an ink cartridge to be intentionally equipped in the apparatus from being erroneously inserted into a connecting port at the time of replacing the ink cartridge by a fresh cartridge, mis-insertion preventing grooves 551 having a configuration different for each of the ink cartridges that reserves various kinds of inks are provided in each of the ink cartridges. In other words, the main body of the printing apparatus is equipped with rails corresponding to the mis-insertion preventing grooves 551. Therefore, even if the ink cartridge different from the ink cartridge to be intentionally connected is going to be inserted thereinto, the ink cartridge cannot be inserted.
The wall 553 is so adapted as to protect the connecting portions and the mis-insertion preventing grooves 551 so that an operator""s hand is prevented from entering the connecting portions and the mis-insertion preventing grooves 551, and the height of the wall 553 is normally equal to the height of the connecting portions or higher than the connecting portions.
The ink jet printing apparatus improves in the preservativity and the water resistance of a printing material with remarkable improvements of the ink, the head, etc., and also enhances its reliability such that the printing speed is increased, etc. For that reason, up to now, the ink jet printing apparatus market is mainly the personal user market for the purpose of utilization in a home, a small-scaled office, etc. However, now, the ink jet printing apparatus market is also advancing into a business user market for the purpose of utilization in a large-scaled office.
As compared with the personal user, the business user increases the printing frequency and the number of print sheets and is also highly conscious of the running costs. Under the circumstances, in order that the replacing frequency of the ink cartridges is reduced and the rate of the container costs to the ink costs is reduced to decrease the running costs in response to the user""s demands, a large-capacity ink cartridge is increasingly employed.
In the small-capacity ink cartridge, there does not arise any problem even if the user drops down the ink cartridge in error to apply an impact to the wall 553. In the large-capacity ink cartridge, because an increased capacity causes an increase in weight, an impact becomes large when the ink cartridge drops down, resulting in the large possibility that the wall 553 is destroyed by the impact such as dropping.
The wall 553 is provided with a convex portion matched with a guide groove of the main body of the printing apparatus in order to surely connect the ink cartridge to the connecting port of the main body of the printing apparatus when the ink cartridge is inserted into the main body of the printing apparatus. Also, the mechanical key mechanism such as the above-mentioned mis-insertion preventing grooves 551 is formed in the wall 553 portion. Since the convex portion and the mechanical key mechanism come in contact with the main body of the printing apparatus to execute their functions as described above, there are many cases in which they are located on the outer portion of the ink cartridge. Therefore, when the ink cartridge drops down, the impact is directly applied to the convex portion and the mechanical key mechanism, and a breakage, deformation or the like may occur in the convex portion and the mechanical key mechanism. Some precision is required for the convex portion and the mechanical key mechanism in order to achieve their functions, and if the breakage or deformation occurs in the convex portion and mechanical key mechanism, there is the possibility that their functions are lost. In this case, there may be a case in which the ink cartridge cannot be used although any problem does not exist at all as the function for retaining the ink.
In addition, recently, in order to improve the reliability and the operability of the main body of the printing apparatus with an appropriate process in accordance with the kind of ink and the amount of ink reserved in the ink cartridge, there is a case where a storage medium in which various information, setting parameters and so on are recorded is disposed in the ink cartridge. The storage medium is also frequently fitted onto the wall 553 portion. The storage medium is formed of a member manufactured through a semiconductor process, and generally low in resistance to an impact. Upon application of the impact caused by dropping, the operating failure may occur in the storage medium, and the function of the storage medium is completely lost if a stronger impact is applied to the storage medium. Similarly, in this case, there is a fear that the ink cartridge cannot be used although a sufficient ink retaining function is effective.
Up to now, there has been applied a method of preventing the occurrence of the breakage and deformation of the convex portion and the mechanical key mechanism, the operating failure of the storage medium, etc., by provision of a packaging material made of a shock absorbing material which covers the entire ink cartridge. However, the provision of the shock absorbing member causes the costs of the ink cartridge to be raised.
The present invention has been made under the above circumstances, and therefore an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid container which is high in resistance to an impact occurring when the liquid container drops down in error and a printing apparatus to which the liquid container is attachable without any increase in the manufacturing costs.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a liquid container for retaining a liquid, which is detachably attached onto a main body of a printing apparatus that conducts printing by attaching the liquid onto a print medium, the liquid container comprising:
a convex connecting portion which communicates with the main body of the printing apparatus; and
a wall formed around the connecting portion;
wherein the connecting portion includes an elastic member, and a leading edge of the connecting portion is projected from the wall.
According to the above structure, since the largest impact caused by a first contact of the liquid container with a floor when the liquid container drops down is liable to be applied to the connecting portion projected from the wall, the wall can be suppressed from being deformed or damaged by application of a large impact to the wall. In addition, since the connecting portion has the elastic member, the impact can be absorbed by the elastic deformation of the elastic member.
When the connecting portion includes a hole defined in the liquid container, a housing formed so as to surround the hole, an elastic member which is disposed within an opening portion of the housing and shuts the hole, and a crest member which is disposed so as to cover the housing and fixedly presses the elastic member within the opening portion, the impact caused by dropping is transmitted to the elastic member through the crest member and can be absorbed by the elastic deformation of the elastic member.
When the housing is in the form of a cylinder and the elastic member is in the form of a dome a diameter of which is slightly larger than an inner diameter of the housing, a force that contracts in a radial direction is exerted on the elastic member from the housing in a state where the elastic member is fixedly pressed within the housing by the crest member. With this structure, in the case where the liquid container is attached to the main body of the printing apparatus, when a needle for communication penetrates the center portion of the elastic member to open a hole, a liquid can be prevented from being leaked from a clearance between the hole and the needle. Also, even if the liquid container is removed from the main body of the printing apparatus, since the hole cut by the needle is shut by the force exerted on the elastic member from the housing, the liquid can be prevented from being leaked.
When the elastic member and the crest member are integrally molded by a bicolor mold, the number of structural members is reduced, thereby being capable of reducing the manufacturing costs.
In addition, when a concave portion or a concave portion is defined in the main body of the printing apparatus, and another convex portion or another convex portion which is engaged with (fit to) the concave portion or the convex portion in the printing apparatus main body and then slid in an engaged state so that the liquid container can be inserted into the printing apparatus main body are formed on the wall of the liquid container, in the case where the liquid container is installed in the printing apparatus main body, the liquid container can be surely guided to a position to be installed. In this situation, since the liquid container of the present invention makes it difficult to exert the impact on the wall portion when the liquid container drops down in error as described above, it is difficult that the concave portion or the convex portion defined in the wall is deformed or damaged.
Also, when a concave portion or a convex portion a pattern of which is different for each of the kinds of the liquid containers to be attached is defined in the printing apparatus main body, and another concave portion or another convex portion which is engaged with the concave portion or the convex portion in the printing apparatus main body and a pattern of which is different for each of the kinds of the liquid containers is defined in the wall of the liquid container, even if one liquid container different from another liquid container to be intentionally connected is going to be inserted into the printing apparatus main body, the one liquid container cannot be inserted into the main body, thereby being capable of preventing the mis-attaching of the liquid container. In this situation, since the liquid container of the present invention makes it difficult to exert the impact on the wall portion when the liquid container drops down in error as described above, it is difficult that the concave portion or the convex portion defined in the wall is deformed or damaged.
Further, when a storage medium and connecting means for electrically connecting the storage medium and the main body are disposed on the wall of the liquid container, and means for reading stored information in the storage medium and printing apparatus operation control means the operating contents of which are changed on the basis of the stored information are disposed in the printing apparatus main body, the storage medium is allowed to store the monitor information, the control information, the identification information, the liquid amount information or the manufacturer""s information of the liquid container therein. On the basis of the contents of those information, it is possible that an alarm signal is produced, the stored information is indicated or the printing operation is stopped, thereby being capable of improving the reliability of the operation of the printing apparatus. In addition, when means for changing the stored information in the storage medium is disposed in the printing apparatus main body, the contents of the stored information in the storage medium are appropriately corrected, thereby being capable of enhancing the reliability of the stored information. In this situation, since the liquid container of the present invention makes it difficult to exert the impact on the wall portion when the liquid container drops down in error as described above, it is difficult that the storage medium disposed on the wall is damaged and also that the operating failure of the storage medium occurs due to the impact.
Still further, when a convex portion or a concave portion is defined on a side surface of the connecting portion of the liquid container, and a concave portion or a convex portion which is engaged with the convex portion and the concave portion defined on the side surface of the connecting portion is formed on the printing apparatus main body, in the case where the liquid container is installed in the printing apparatus main body, the connecting portion of the liquid container can be surely guided to a position to be installed.
Yet still further, when the connecting portion is formed in such a manner that the height of the connecting portion from the face on which the connecting portion of the liquid container is disposed is changed for each of the kinds of the liquid containers, and a connecting base is formed in such a manner that the height of the connecting base of the printing apparatus which is connected to the connecting portion is changed for each of the kinds of the liquid containers to be attached in correspondence with the height of the connecting portion, even if one liquid container different from another liquid container to be intentionally connected is going to be inserted into the printing apparatus main body, the one liquid container cannot be inserted into the main body, thereby being capable of preventing the mis-attaching of the liquid container.
Yet still further, when the connecting portion is formed in such a manner that the height of the leading edge of the connecting portion of the liquid container which is projected from the wall is changed for each of the kinds of the liquid containers, and the connecting base is formed in such a manner that the height of the connecting base of the printing apparatus which is connected to the connecting portion is changed for each of the kinds of the liquid containers to be attached in correspondence with the height of the above leading edge of the connecting portion, even if one liquid container different from another liquid container to be intentionally connected is going to be inserted into the printing apparatus main body, the one liquid container cannot be inserted into the main body, thereby being capable of preventing the mis-attaching of the liquid container.
The present invention is applicable to a liquid container that supplies a liquid to the printing apparatus main body, and a liquid container that retains the liquid that does not contribute to print, falls into disuse and is discharged from the printing apparatus main body.